First Baptist Church
Raritan & Second Aves. Highland Park, NJ  08904
Phone: (732) 846-5118   Fax: (732) 846 1988
George Whittemore, Pastor (732) 418-1931
Service Schedule
Sunday

Worship Service:    10:00 A.M.
Sunday School:       11:15 A.M.

Wednesday
Bible Study & Prayer 7:30 P.M.

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Prior to 1893 a Union Sunday School was maintained in Highland Park by various churches in New Brunswick. This was disbanded in 1893 and the Reformed Sunday School was formed. From 1893 to 1895 the Baptists in the Park held cottage prayer meetings in the various homes, at which meetings a Sunday School for the Baptist children was often discussed. The matter was placed before the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick, Which decided that there was material for a Mission Sunday School.

The school was organized with Mr. Henry B. Zimmerman as Superintendent, and for the first five years of it's existence held sessions in what had previously been a grocery store on Raritan Avenue, near First Avenue. The first session was held on the first Sunday of June, 1895. Before the end of 1895 four members professed conversion and were baptized into the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick by the Pastor, the Rev. L. E. Wheeler. Altogether, during the first five years of the Sunday School, twenty members were baptized.

In April, 1899, land was purchased on the Patterson farm and plans for a Chapel were prepared by Mr. August N. Whitlock and were adopted by the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick Trustees, who held the property in trust, in May, 1899. A subscription list was then started. The building was commenced in the fall of 1899 and finished in the spring of 1900 and dedicated in June, 1900.

From a beginning of 33 members, the School grew rapidly and in 1911 the Chapel was enlarged. Formation of a Church in Highland Park was the ultimate aim of the Baptists. There was however, a natural reluctance upon the part of the members to withdraw their membership from their mother Church, which, in most cases, was the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick. Preaching services were held for many years by various supplies and resident Baptist ministers. In June, 1925, Rev. Fred H. McNair was called to preach at services that had been started by the young people.

In October, 1925 it was decided the time was ripe to start a Baptist Church in Highland Park. The Chapel property, which had been held in trust by the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick, had already been deeded to the Sunday School.

On November 24th, 1925, the Church was organized as the First Baptist Church of Highland Park and was incorporated in 1927. Through the years that followed it has had a diversity of ethnic and racial membership that has prospered and continues to win souls through the saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ to this day.